The City of Dragons
by YT1
Summary: The result of a collaborative project on the Samurai Site forums between myself, SJO and Samurai Kat. How did Jack descend Mount Fatoum after he reached the peak? Actually, he didn't - he was carried down by a dragon. And so the tale begins...*FINISHED
1. Introduction and Acknowledgements

The City of Dragons

A _Samurai Jack_ fanfic by YT, SJO and Samurai Kat

_Samurai Jack_ was created by Gennedy Tartakovsky and airs on Cartoon Network.  This fic also takes a few queues from Patricia Wrede's _Enchanted Forest Chronicles_.  I'm using elements of those stories without permission but with good intentions, so please don't sue me, thank you very much.

This story is the result of a cumulative fanfiction project on The Samurai Site's forums.  I started it off and SJO and Samurai Kat contributed to it.  It turned out pretty well, so I decided to clean it up and make a proper fic out of it.  I've edited a lot of the text, mostly for the sake of narrative continuity, but all the contributors' ideas are still in here.  Hope you enjoy…

The story begins shortly after the end of Episode XX, _Jack and the Mountain_…


	2. Prologue

_Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But a foolish samurai warrior, wielding a magic sword, stepped forth to oppose me._

_Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future, where my evil is law._

_Now, the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku._

~***~

Prologue

            The dragons did not like the cold air this far up, and neither did their riders.  Kez shivered under his layers of fur clothing and wondered why _he _always got the most unpleasant jobs.  But when you get an order from the Seer, you can't exactly refuse.

            He and Madri were circling close to the summit of Mount Fatoum, searching for someone.  The winds at the summit were too tricky for flying, but as the Seer had told them, they would not need to go that far up.  They would find him a little below the summit, where it was still safe (although not very) to fly.

            "Down there!"  Madri's shout startled him.  He looked to see her pointing down at something on a wide ledge.  Kez stopped circling the mountain and directed Maktuu, his dragon, to fly in small circles near the ledge his companion had indicated.  He looked carefully for a few moments, but saw nothing.  Then his eyes caught sight of something dark against the white snow.

            "I'll check it," Kez called.  "Don't drop the gondola until we're sure."  Zorka, Madri's dragon, was carrying a large wood-and-hide basket suspended from long wooden handles that she gripped in her claws.  With it, a dragon could carry a sick or injured person through the air; if Madri was not mistaken, they had just found such a person on the ledge.

            Kez directed Maktuu to a careful landing on near the dark object.  He unbuckled his straps and slid off the dragon's back.  He sank into the snow nearly up to his knees, and was glad for his high boots.

            He pushed his crystal goggles up onto his forehead as he approached what he hoped was the object of his mission.  Upon getting closer, he was glad to discover that it was indeed what he and Madri were looking for – the dark thing was hair, long and loose and tangled, belonging to an unconscious man half-buried by snow.  Kez knelt, brushed the snow off the man and turned him over onto his back.

            If the man's hair had not been black, or long as it was, they might have missed him – his skin was fair (though also rather blue, now) and the tattered white robe that he wore blended into the snow from a distance.  Kez signaled to Madri, and she returned the signal before flying Zorka over the ledge.  Her dragon dropped the gondola neatly onto the snow before swooping upwards again.  Kez heaved the unconscious man over his shoulder and brought him to the gondola, then gently put him down on the ground beside it.  He undid the wide straps inside the basket and arranged the furs within.  He then took the scabbarded sword that his charge was wearing (it wouldn't be safe in the gondola), and placed him into the basket.  Kez wrapped the man in furs, secured the straps and went back to Maktuu.

His mount regarded him curiously as he buckled the sword to his saddle.  "That's a funny-looking sword," the dragon remarked.  Then he turned his head to look at the gondola.  "Did he _really_ climb all the way up the mountain?"

"Apparently so," Kez answered simply.  He put his goggles over his eyes again, then swung himself onto Maktuu's back and directed him to the precipice.  The dragon jumped and fell a short distance before snapping his wings open and pumping them in order to ascend.  Kez watched as Zorka swooped over the ledge again, neatly snatching the gondola as she did so.

"Time to go home," Kez shouted gladly.  Madri nodded, and the two of them directed their dragons into a descending glide.  Soon they would be back at the Stronghold, and Kez would make use of a roaring fire and some spiced wine to take the chill from his bones.


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

            It was warm.  He had almost forgotten what warmth felt like.

            Jack opened his eyes and tried to focus.  There was a pattern above his head – a tapestry.  He sat up, with some difficulty, and the sheets and blankets fell as he did so.  He made a quick check of his own situation; his injuries seemed to be gone, and though some of his fingers and toes had suffered from frostbite, that too was healed.  He was also wearing a set of loose gray pyjamas.  Something significant had obviously taken place while he was unconscious.  Curious, he examined his surroundings.    He was in a canopied bed in a moderately sized chamber.  The chamber was made of stone – no, solid rock, for there were no blocks with joints between them.  There were no windows either, but the room was lit by an oil lantern on a nearby table.

            There were other things on the table as well – some folded clothes with his sword, still in its scabbard, laying across them.  He pushed the covers back and swung his feet to the carpeted floor.  Standing up took some effort, for he felt weak, but he could walk.

            The clothes on the table consisted of a pair of tan trousers with a belt, off-white stockings, a white shirt and a dark green tunic.  Not what he was used to wearing, but if it was all that was available, he would take it.  There was a small leather thong that he used to tie up his hair again.  He noticed that there were some boots under the table as well.  He exchanged the pyjamas for the provided outfit and put the scabbard of his sword through his belt.  Now he was ready to…to what?

            Well, he would find out who his hosts were, and how he had ended up here, in that order.  Then his stomach grumbled and he realized that food would have to be somewhere on that schedule too.  But before he did anything else, he would find his hosts.

            He opened the door of his room, which creaked a little on its hinges as it swung outwards.  It led into a high vaulted corridor, lit with lanterns hung high on the walls and chandeliers on the ceilings.  His was one of many doors along the corridor.  He could see nobody, but he could hear sounds in the distance.  Jack looked back and forth, then caught sight of a great set of double doors at one end of the corridor.

            Maybe he would find someone on the other side of those doors.  He stepped out of his room and closed that door, then took care to count how many rooms down he was so that he could find it again if he had to.  He walked up to the great double doors, his booted feet echoing on the stone floor.  As he got closer, the noises that had been so distant grew steadily louder.

            He came to the great doors and regarded the geometric patterns carved upon them for a few moments.  Then he grasped the bronze handle of one of the doors, put his thumb on the latch and pulled.  Outside he saw…

            It took his breath away.  The doors led onto a stone ledge that was bordered by a wooden fence.  The ledge was one of many along the walls of the huge cavern.  There were buildings, some built up from the cave floor (some of them were carved out of stalagmites!) and many more carved out of the cave walls.  Great columns, created by the meeting of gigantic stalagmites and stalactites, formed skyscrapers which twinkled from top to bottom with lighted windows.   Various bridges and walkways spanned the gaps between one building and another, or a building and a ledge.  The noise he had heard had come from here, the noise of a great number of people walking and talking and living, for this place was an underground metropolis.  Or maybe not underground – when he looked into the far distance he could see a ragged patch of blue sky.  He was both fascinated and very, very confused.

            "What are _you _doing up?" a voice demanded from behind him.  Jack spun around, hand on his sword hilt, and came face to face with a middle-aged woman in a dark blue robe.  He had been so distracted that he had not heard her approach.  She looked at his hand on his sword and raised an eyebrow at him.

            Feeling acutely embarrassed, Jack removed his hand from the sword hilt and bowed to her.  "Excuse me," he asked, "But can you please tell me where I am?"

"I can," the woman answered, "but I won't, not just yet. You need to get back to bed and rest. You had a rough time out there."  
"I assure you, I feel fine."

The woman put her hands on her hips.  "I don't care, you still got a ways to go."  The frown on her face told him that she didn't have the patience for much more of such behavior.

Jack decided there was no point in arguing with her.  "As you wish," he conceded, and headed reluctantly back to his room.  She stayed outside while he put on the pyjamas again and got back into the bed, peeked inside the door.

"I'll get you something to eat in a few minutes," the woman informed him in a more kindly tone.  
"I would appreciate that. Thank you."  With that, the woman nodded and closed the door, leaving him alone to wait and wonder.

~***~

Morwanneg closed the door and headed for the infirmary several doors down the hall.  One of her apprentices greeted her as she entered.  "He's up," Morwanneg informed him.

"That was sudden.  I thought it would take another day, at least…"

"So did I.  You know I found him wandering around just a minute ago?"

"Really?" her apprentice raised an eyebrow.  "After all _that_?  I'm impressed."

"I'm not.  He ought to have the sense to stay and rest.  But of course you can't expect someone who's crazy enough to climb Mount Fatoum to do anything that simple, oh no…"  Morwanneg stopped mid-complaint when she remembered something.  "Ah!  The King wanted to know when he woke up."  She went to a round mirror hanging on one wall and tapped it three times.  A face made of mist swirled into existence in the glass. 

"Who are you calling please?" the face asked.  
"The Dragon King."

"One moment."

In a few seconds, the image came up. "He's up, Your Majesty. Are you sure he's the one?"

On the other side of the mirror, the Dragon King nodded his crusted head.  "The Seer is never wrong," he rumbled.  "When can she talk to him?"

"Not just yet, Your Majesty.  In a few hours, perhaps, but until then he needs to rest."

"Very well.  Tell me when you think he is ready, and I will send the Seer to speak to him."


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Morwanneg went back to the stranger's room with a tray of food in her hands.  He was waiting quite patiently, sitting up against the headboard with his hands folded on his lap.  He bowed his head to her in greeting as she walked up to the bed.

"Thank you," he said as she put the food down before him.  He picked up the fork between thumb and forefinger and looked critically at it.

"What, never seen a fork before?" Morwanneg asked him.  He was a strange one, certainly.

He startled and looked at her again.  "It is only that…no, never mind."  The way he held the fork indicated that he wasn't used to using one, but he seemed to manage all right with his food.  "This is very good," he commented between bites.

Morwanneg smiled.  "Thank you, lad."

He put down the fork and regarded her carefully.  "I am called Jack," he introduced himself.  "I would like to know the name of the one who is showing me such hospitality."

"My name's Morwanneg," she said with a quick curtsey, "Head of the infirmary.  Nice to meet you."

"Can you please tell me where I am?  From what I have seen of this place it is very beautiful, but I would like to know its name."

She raised an eyebrow at him.  "You will in time, Jack, but first concentrate on getting better.  Everything will be explained soon – but until then, just eat and rest.  No, don't argue with me; you barely survived the mountain, and it'll take time for you to get your strength back."

She didn't know what to make of the way he smiled at her for that.

~***~

Jack was startled awake by the opening of the door.  He looked up to see who was entering the room.

It was not the same woman who had attended to him. This woman was young, wearing a dress of red silk and a collection of golden bracelets. Her skin was very fair and her long, dark-brown hair cascaded down nearly to her waist. She smiled at him. He tried to get up so that he could bow to her, but she waved for him to stay where he was, so he did.

She came to the side of the bed in a rustle of silk. He noticed with a shock that her eyes were milky blue - she was blind. But she had seen him try to get out of the bed, and moved as surely as any sighted person. And when she looked at him, he knew that she could see him, eyes or no.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Much better, thank you," he replied.

The young woman nodded. "Very good. My name is Arienne, and I am the Seer of the Dragon King. I know who you are," she said with a smile. Her voice, though it was young, had all the wisdom and confidence of someone much older. 

"I am called Jack.  Please tell me, where am I?  Morwanneg will not tell my anything."

"This city is called Kel Tor.  I suppose you would like to know why you were brought here?" the Seer remarked. Jack nodded, hoping that he didn't seem too eager. The Seer closed her eyes. "I saw that you would be on the mountain, and that you would need our help. But we will also need yours."

"If I can repay your people for what you have done," Jack said, "Then please tell me how."

The Seer opened her eyes again. "I'm getting to that. This kingdom, you see, is one of the last free lands on the planet. Aku, naturally, wishes us ill, and has tried many times to destroy the city.  But he has not yet succeeded – because this is a citadel of dragons, and none of his minions have been powerful enough to defeat them."

"Dragons?" Jack realized that he had asked that question as a small child would, but the Seer didn't remark on it. 

"Because of our inaccessible position and the combined strength of the dragons and humans of this kingdom, we have so far managed to keep Aku at bay. But I have forseen that he will soon launch an assault upon us, with dragons made of metal to match our own.  I had the two visions at about the same time - first the one about Aku's metal dragons, and then the one about you. Although we do not get much news from the rest of the world up here, I still know about you, for your presence in this world generates...ripples, if you will."

"I do not understand," Jack confessed.

"Most people don't," the Seer replied. "But suffice it say that I have been aware of you for a long time." She tilted her head to the side as if listening.

Jack listened too, and heard footsteps outside just before his door opened. Morwanneg came into the room bearing another tray of food. "I hope she hasn't been keeping you up too long. You need your rest."

"No, no, it is all right," Jack insisted as the healer put the tray down on a table beside the bed. The smells from it made him hungry again.

"Do not be concerned, Morwanneg, we were simply having a brief conversation," the Seer reasurred her, a note of amusement in her voice. She looked at Jack again. "I must go before Morwanneg chases me out. She is very protective of her charges." She smiled mischevously before nodding a good-bye and gliding out of the room as silently she had come in.

Jack did not like the idea of being anybody's 'charge,' but Morwanneg was rather difficult to argue the point with. He had wanted to get up and look around after he ate, but she insisted that he stay and rest. He tried to reason with her, but to no avail.

"We used magic to heal you. That takes a lot out of a person, don't you know, so you shouldn't be wandering about just yet. And if you sneak out and something happens to you, I'll be in a lot of trouble with the king and _you_ will be in even more trouble with _me_. So don't you argue with me, young man." She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Jack could match wills with just about anyone or anything, but he had a feeling that Morwanneg was somehow out of his league. There was something in her eyes that told him that even Mount Fatoum was not as tough as this woman could be, when she got mad. And in any case, he was in no condition to fight a battle of any kind.

So he gave in, for the time being. "I will do as you say," he informed her.

"You darn well better," she replied. "But don't worry, you'll be up on your feet soon. It will just take a little time. Then you can wander about all you want."   
  


~***~

            Jack spent the next two days (he knew it was two days because Morwanneg told him so) following his caretaker's instructions.  But when she told him that he was recovered to her satisfaction he was dressed and out of the little room as quickly as possible.  He had to force himself not to run down the hall to the great doors, and once he had passed through them he hardly knew where to go first.  There seemed to be a market bazaar in a grand square on the cavern floor below, and he could see shapes flying through the air close to the cavern opening far away – those must have been the dragons.

            He looked from one to the other.  It seemed that he would have to descend to the cavern floor in any case if he wished to make his way to the dragons, so he would look at the bazaar first.  There was a set of descending stairs at the end of the walkway to his right, and he headed for those.  It took him some time to work his way down to the ground, as the myriad walkways and ladders and such did not seem to be laid out in an organized pattern, or at least not one that he could discern.  Sometimes he had to climb _up_ to reach the steps or bridge or mechanical lift (there were a few of those) that would take him to a lower level.  He considered asking someone for directions, but the process of finding his way was enjoyable in itself, for he saw many interesting things along the route – beautiful carvings, statues in alcoves, paintings and mosaics turned up in the oddest of places, and had he been following someone down he might have missed them.  Jack also had reason to be grateful for his borrowed clothes, since his usual attire was not ideally suited to a place in which one had to travel vertically as much as horizontally.  He _could_ manage ladders in his _geta_ sandals, but it was difficult.

            The bazaar, when he finally reached it, proved a fascinating place indeed.  There were a hundred stalls that sold everything from fabrics to food to jewellery, a score of minstrels, acrobats, dancers and performing magicians, and quite a lot of people.  Jack actually forgot about seeing the dragons for a while, and only headed for their part of the cave a good three hours after he had set off from his room.

            The cavern walls and ceiling formed a sort of bottleneck at one point – this point was the divisor between the human and dragon cities.  There was a low wall there, watched by a number of human guards.  These guards would not let Jack through to the other side, saying that he lacked the proper authorization to pass.

            But such authorization was not long in coming.  The clinking of bangles and the rustle of silk caught his attention, and he turned around to find the Seer behind him.  He bowed to her, and she responded with a curtsey.

            "You're a little earlier than I thought you would be," she remarked.  Jack did not even think to wonder how she had known that he would be here.  There was something else he wished to know, however.

            "Excuse me, but for what occasion have I arrived early?" he asked.

            "Your meeting with the Dragon King," the Seer answered.  The guards opened the gate in the wall, and the two of them passed through, into the dragons' territory beyond.


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

            The part of the cavern beyond the divider contained no buildings – instead, the walls were honeycombed with nooks carved into the rock.  Each of these, the Seer said, was a dragon's roost.  There were walkways and ladders here that gave access to these roosts – those were for the humans who rode the dragons into battle.  There were also a number of tall, wide passages leading off the great chamber, and it was to one of these that the Seer led him.  Jack would have liked to stay and watch the dragons  - each about the size of an elephant - gliding back and forth, visiting each other, but that was not possible now.

            The passage led to a great arch in which a pair of huge bronze doors were set.  There were rings on the doors, meant for pulling them open, but they were designed for hands much bigger than those of a human.  A pair of green dragons flanked the doors.  When they saw the Seer, they bowed their heads, and as one reached for the rings on the doors and pulled them open.

            Beyond was a vast chamber with a vaulted ceiling.  The walls were covered in carvings of intricate detail, and a series of great chandeliers brought them to life with flickering light and shadows.  There was a path of red tiles leading from the door to the other end of the chamber, where a great dais sat.  And on that dais was a great coppery dragon with a large golden crown on its head.  This majestic creature had a pair of great wings, now folded, that were draped like a cloak over a coat of scales like brightly polished plates.  The monarch of the dragons was more awe-inspiring and more regal than any human of similar station could ever be.  There were other dragons around the chamber as well, and a number of humans.  All of them had their eyes on Jack and the Seer.  The Seer began to walk forward in slow, majestic steps; Jack followed, trying not to stare at any one thing for too long.

            When they were close to the dais, the Seer took a deep bow.  "My lord," she said, "I present to you Samurai Jack."

            Jack stepped forward and bowed low.  "It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty."

            The King lifted his head in acknowledgement.  "The honor is mine, to meet the great warrior who will free us from Aku."  His voice was a deep bass rumble, and it sounded exactly as Jack had imagined it would.

            Jack straightened up again.  "Thank you, Your Majesty."

            "As the Seer has told you," the King began, "We will soon be fighting the greatest battle in our living memory, against an army of metal dragons.  We have heard of your great deeds, warrior, and ask you to help us in our fight."

            "It is my sworn duty to fight Aku – you have my word that I shall help you defeat his dragons, and bring peace to your kingdom."

            The Dragon King nodded approvingly.  "You have my most sincere gratitude.  But if you are to help us, then you will need to learn how to ride one of our dragons for the upcoming battle.  The Seer will begin your training as soon as possible – I fear that time is short."

            "Then I shall learn quickly, Your Majesty."

            The King's tail twitched.  "I certainly hope that you will.  For all our sakes."

~***~

The first thing they did was to take him back to the part of the cave where the dragons roosted, called the Aerie.  Secondly, they gave him the equipment he would need - a close-cut hooded robe with an attached veil to protect his face from the wind, a pair of crystal goggles, fingerless gloves and a special belt so that he could secure himself to the dragon's saddle with a harness. 

The third thing they did was to give him a trainer. Kez was a short, freckled redhead about the same age as Jack, of a serious disposition and few words.  
"Kez will help you get started," the Seer told him. "Once he decides that you are ready, I will find a dragon for you to ride. Until then, you will be riding with him on Maktuu."

Jack looked up at the honeycomb of roosts above. A grey dragon launched itself from one of the nooks and, with a gliding curve, flew out of the great mouth of the cave and into the sky. Jack felt a little uneasy about this - he had flown a number of times in the past, with the aid of various devices, but never on the back of a living creature - at least, not at such an altitude as this.

"C'mon," Kez insisted, interrupting his train of thought. "Maktuu is up there." He pointed to one of the holes in the wall far above them, then went to the nearest ladder and started to climb. Jack followed him.

Up the ladder, along a walkway, up another ladder, then another walkway, third nook on the right. As they entered the cave, its occupant - a fair-sized bronze dragon - lifted his head and looked at them.

"G'morning Maktuu," Kez greeted him. The dragon stood up, shook himself and spread his wings a little.

"Good morning, Kez," he rumbled. Then he turned to regard Jack with a yellow eye the size of a dinner plate. He blinked. "It's you again. Feeling better, I see?"

Jack bowed a greeting. "Yes, thank you."

"I suppose Kez has told you my name already; I know yours, you've been the talk of the roosts for days." Maktuu drew back his head. "It's nice to meet you. Properly, I mean." The dragon was quite verbose, much more so than the human who rode him.

"It is an honor to meet you as well," Jack said. Kez was getting a large saddle down from some pegs on the wall. He went to Maktuu, who lifted his wings obligingly, and started strapping it on.

"So, I'm to help give you flying lessons?" Maktuu guessed. His smile managed to be friendly even though it was composed of sharp teeth. "Wonderful! I can't wait!"

"Let me get the saddle on first," Kez reminded him. Maktuu lifted his left front leg so that Kez could get the strap on. Jack watched him carefully, so that he could remember how it was done. Kez buckled, adjusted and checked straps for the next two minutes or so before patting Maktuu on the back. The dragon sat down obligingly.

"You're going to be in the back part of the saddle," Kez told Jack. Jack nodded and approached the indicated seat. He got himself settled and put his feet in the attached slippers, the equivalent of stirrups. Kez helped him to strap in, then took his own seat on the forward part of the saddle.

There was something missing in this whole arrangement, though. "Excuse me, but how do you direct your dragon without..."

Maktuu wheeled his head around to face Jack. "I'm not _his_ dragon. Kez rides me, but he doesn't own me. There's a difference."

"My apologies," Jack said quickly, "I am still learning your ways. I meant no offense."

The dragon did something that seemed the equivalent of raising an eyebrow. "Apology accepted, then." Maktuu turned to face forward once more.

"I just think which way I want him to go," Kez said, "And he goes."

Jack blinked. "I do not understand."

Kez frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "The Seers match up dragons and riders. They find individuals who have a sort of rapport with each other, and pair them up. So when the Seer finds you a dragon, she will find you one that can share thoughts with you. That's how it works."  
Jack did not really like the idea of sharing his mind with anyone or anything, but if that was how it worked..."I see," he said.

"Good," Kez nodded. "Now, let's get ready to go." He put on his veil and lowered his goggles over his eyes, then took hold of the saddle horn before him. Jack did the same.

As soon as he finished, Maktuu took a flying leap out of his perch, making a loud cry as he did so. The dragon fell a dozen feet as he snapped open his wings, then banked a turn with a few flaps and made a beeline for the exit. The whole experience of takeoff was a bit disorienting, but not at all distressing.

And then they were out of the cave, and in the air high above the mountains…

Riding a dragon did not have much in common with flying in a space suit. There was nothing between him and the air, but to Jack's point of view this was a positive thing. The sky above was clear, the nearby mountain peaks shone like jewels, and the misted ground below held the promise of hidden beauty. Kez pointed out the peak of Mount Fatoum, which brooded over the surrounding range in a decidedly menacing way.

"You're doing all right," Kez shouted to him. "Ready for something more exciting?" Jack could not see his face because of the goggles and the veil, but he knew Kez was smiling. He nodded.

"All right," Kez said. "Hold on to your hat."

"But I am not wearing a..." Maktuu's sudden dive cut Jack off in mid-sentence. The dragon folded his wings and shot downward, then snapped them open and leapt into the sky again. Luckily Jack had an uncommonly strong constitution and nerves of steel, or this would have been extremely unpleasant to say the least.  
Maktuu banked sharply, then took another dive and swoop. Jack found that he was enjoying the ride, in spite of (perhaps because of) all the twists and turns and near-misses the dragon's flight was taking him on.

He was disappointed when the dragon headed for the cave again. Maktuu landed gently in his roost and settled down. Kez started unbuckling himself from the saddle, so Jack did too. They slid off Maktuu's back, and the dragon stood up again. Jack removed the hood, veil and goggles.

"That was pretty good," Kez remarked as he started taking Maktuu's saddle off.

"Yes," the dragon agreed, "Most rookies lose their lunch on their first flight."

Jack was unable to fully comprehend this statement, but he had a good idea of what it meant. "I found it very enjoyable. Thank you."

"Too bad you can't stay," Kez said as he hung up the saddle again. "You're a natural - at least as a passenger. As for a pilot - we'll see about that."

They took their leave of Maktuu and climbed back down the ladders to the ground. Jack was not surprised to see the Seer waiting for him.

"My lady," Kez addressed her with a bow. Jack bowed as well. The Seer nodded at them. "My lady, I think Jack's ready to go solo. He held up pretty well just now."

The Seer nodded. "Thank you, Kez. Come with me, Jack - I think I have found the perfect dragon for you."


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

            "You'll like her," the Seer assured him as they traveled down one of the other passages.  "Hopefully you are familiar with this breed."  The grin on her face told him that some surprise was in store.

Jack gasped in awe and surprise when they rounded the corner. A long, sinuous dragon with red-gold scales and mane was curled up on the ground.  She was not like the other dragons he had seen here – she was of the sort he'd seen in pictures at home, an Oriental dragon.  As he approached closer, she lifted her head and blinked at him with a pair of golden eyes.

"This is Niji," the Seer introduced him.  Jack was surprised to hear that her name was of his native tongue – and it meant 'rainbow.'

Niji smiled kindly at him.  "Konnichiwa, Jack-san."  She sounded nothing like the Dragon King – had he not seen her with his own eyes, Jack would have thought her to be a young woman.

He bowed to her, feeling as if the lightness of his heart would lift him off the ground at any moment.  "Konnichiwa, Niji-san."

"I am going to let you two get acquainted," the Seer said. "Tomorrow, you will go on a flight together, but first you must have an understanding between you." She bowed. "I will see you this evening - until then, farewell."

Jack answered her bow with a lower one. "Thank you. I am..." He stood up again. "I do not have the words to tell you."

The Seer smiled. "You don't have to. I know what you mean." She waved and departed, leaving Jack with the golden dragon.

Niji bumped her head up against him, as an affectionate horse would do, and he put a hand on her mane again. He felt a strange mix of emotions upon seeing this creature - she reminded him so much of home.

_It's nice to meet you,_ she said. Not speaking, the way Maktuu had, but just thinking – it felt just like the sound of her voice. This method of communication should have made him uneasy, but it didn't  _There are so few of our kind left..._ He got the impression that she was including him in this category.

_Our kind?_

_From our homeland,_ she clarified. _Aku has stamped most of us out, dragons and humans both. I never thought I'd see a human of our kind again._

Jack was a little confused. 'A human of our kind?'

Niji picked up on it. _In this place, dragons and humans are one people. I have lived here all my life, and that is how I have been taught to think of it._

_I understand now,_ Jack told her. And he realized that she was right - they were both of the same people, even if they were not of the same species.

~***~

            Some friendships are made in an instant and last forever; that was how Jack felt about Niji.  He spent most of that day conversing with her and learning her history, as well as sharing his own.  Morwanneg finally came to drag him back to his room for dinner, and he left with a great deal of reluctance.  That night he hardly slept – the prospect of tomorrow's flight with his new friend kept him awake and wondering.

Kez, the Seer and the Dragon King were there to see him off on his first flight early the next morning. Jack was feeling a little giddy - unusual for him - although even he didn't know quite why. Was it excitement or nervousness? Perhaps a little of both. Riding on Maktuu had been a wonderful experience, but someone else had been piloting. Now, he had to do that on his own.

He settled himself in the saddle on Niji's back and felt her in the back of his mind again. But he was not sure what he ought to do next.

_For now, just keep a clear mind so I can understand you, and tell me what you want me to do,_ she advised him. _Once you are accustomed to that, we can move on to the next level._ What did she mean by that? Jack could not even imagine.

But he would figure it out when the time came. _All right. I am ready - let us begin._

He felt Niji's muscles tense for a moment before she leaped into the air and began to ascend, then darted out of the cave and into the open air. Jack turned to wave at the people watching him below.

Niji's flight was different from Maktuu's - for one, he did not feel the movements associated with the beating of wings. The Seer had told him that Niji's wings were invisible, but the truth seemed to be more complicated than that. The dragon seemed to swim through the air, undulating like a snake.

_Now, let us practice,_ Niji told him. _This is not meant to be a simple patrol flight - we will be fighting a battle together, and we must learn how to act in concert._

Jack took her through some simple turns, then ascents and descents through the air. As he grew more comfortable with the whole experience, he began to include dives, rolls and swoops in the routine. But it was not like the flight Kez had taken him on, for he still did not feel confident enough to go to some of the extremes that Maktuu had.

_You shouldn't, not this way,_ Niji said. _To do those things will require a deeper rapport. Right now you are merely giving me instructions. But we must be of one mind, so that I can react as quickly as you think._

That was the root of the problem. Sharing one mind. He was able to do this, but...

_You must trust me,_ Niji insisted, _Or this will not work._

She was right. Jack put his reservations aside - he had to do this, so he would do it. He tried to relax, and felt Niji's presence in his mind grow more intense - or at least, that was the best way to describe it...

And then he felt the wind over his scales, and blowing through his mane, and the currents in the air...

_Sorry,_ Niji apologized withdrawing a bit, _That was a little too close. But I think we have it now. Don't think out what you want me to do - just try to do it yourself, as if you were walking or running._

Jack took a deep breath. Then he thought _down, fast_ - though not in words like that - and Niji went into a dive. Then _curve upwards_ and she swooped.

Then _bank left_ and _roll_. He grinned beneath the veil he was wearing. He had only felt this way once before, when he had learned to "jump good" and gone bounding over the treetops.

Except that this time, he was _really_ flying. He closed his eyes, took his hands off the saddlehorn and spread his arms, then took Niji wheeling out across the sky. 

~***~

            Kez watched as Niji landed back in the Aerie.  Jack undid his saddle harness and dismounted.  When he removed his goggles and veil Kez could see that he was grinning like an excited child, which Kez found to be very funny.

            "You catch on fast," Kez commented.  "Too bad you can't stay here with us…"

            The Dragon King nodded.  "It is unfortunate, but he has his own mission to…what is wrong?"  This last to the Seer, who was holding her head in her hands and frowning as if she were in pain. Jack's smile was gone in an instant, replaced by a look of concern.

Then the blaring of alarm horns echoed throughout the great cave.  Kez looked out of the cavern opening and could see, in the far distance, a dark cloud – it was moving toward the mountain very fast, and he had no doubt as to what it was made of.  It was time to scramble and face the incoming threat.  With a quick farewell wave to Jack, and a bow to the Seer and the King, Kez ran to the nearest ladder and clambered up on his way to Maktuu's roost.

~***~

Riders scrambled to get their equipment and their weapons - long lances - and to take their mounts. Jack had hardly been off Niji's back for more than a few minutes, but he got right back on, intending to take off in an instant.

"Wait," the Seer admonished him, "There's a system for these things. The top tiers of dragons go first, then the ones lower down. You're here on the bottom, so wait until it's your turn. We don't want any midair collisions." Jack nodded and watched as each group of dragons, from the top crevices on down, departed their nests.

When the lowest tier had departed, the Seer backed up and wished him luck. Jack nodded to her, then willed Niji out of the cave and into the air. He was a little surprised to see the Dragon King fly out behind them.

_The King can talk to all of the other dragons in the air,_ Niji explained. _He gives them strategies to follow, and the dragons relay it to their riders. That is how we keep ourselves organized._ It made sense - Jack could see, even now, that the dragons were grouping into formations of five, with one at the center, two above and two below. The Dragon King, flying fast, was taking point.

_What does he want us to do?_ Jack asked Niji. There was a pause.

_He says to wait until the others have engaged the enemy,_ she replied, _and then we will join the battle._ Jack could sense that she was very nervous, and it surprised him. _This morning was my first time flying with a rider,_ she confessed, _and this is my first battle._

_It is my first battle riding a dragon,_ Jack told her, _but I have fought many other battles. Do not worry, I will take care of you, if you will do the same for me._ Niji seemed to be comforted by this.

Up ahead, the individual black dots were coming into focus. Jack was not close enough to see details, but he perceived that they were angular creatures, with red glowing eyes and wings made of what looked like steel feathers. There were many of them, and Jack could tell at a glance that they outnumbered the dragonriders at least two to one.  The robots flew in a staggered grid at first, but broke off into formations of their own when the dragonriders got closer to them.

One of them fired the first shot - laser beams from the red eyes - and narrowly missed an orange dragon, which retaliated by breathing a fireball at it. The flame was hot enough to melt parts of the mechanical dragon, and it began spiraling towards the ground far below.

A few formations of dragons broke apart, and their riders fired bolts of yellow lightning from the tips of their lances. Very powerful-looking weapons they were, but Jack preferred his sword. With his right hand he drew it from its scabbard and held it out to his side as Niji circled behind the front lines of dragonriders, waiting for the order to join the fight.

~***~

            In his citadel, Aku opened a window in one of the walls of flames to check up on the progress of his attack on Mount Draco.  The fight was just starting, but the dragonriders were already in trouble – they were outnumbered and overpowered by his force.  Aku smiled, knowing that unless some sort of miracle happened, they would not…

            Wait.  Had he just seen what he thought he saw?  He ordered the window to track one particular dragon, a sinuous golden one, and took a closer look at the rider on its back.  The rider was not carrying a lance like the others, but a very familiar-looking sword, and he was slicing through Aku's robot dragons with no more difficulty than he had had in dealing with a countless number of other opponents.

            Aku roared with rage.  "The samurai is helping them?  Bah!  He may save them, but he will not be able to save himself!"  With that, Aku shifted into the form of a dragon and flew through the window, into the skies above the mountains and into the battle. 


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jack slashed the wing off one of the mechanical dragons and peeled away as it tumbled toward the ground. It was a good thing that Niji had no wings, or this would have been a lot more difficult. He heard the sound of lasers powering up behind him and sent Niji into a dive just as a pair of red beams lanced through the air. He flew up in a curving loop, then sliced the robot dragon along its belly. He could feel the heat from its explosion as he and Niji darted away.

To his side he noticed that Kez was being chased by two of Aku's monsters. He brought Niji around in a sharp turn to intercept one of them. With a loud yell he bore down on it and got Niji to incinerate it with a fireball. Then they went into a vertical dive and he reached out the blade of his sword to slice the head off the other one.

None of the dragons, metal or living, were flying in formation now. The battle had dissolved into a cacophany of dogfights, flames, lasers, and crashes. Jack adjusted course just in time to keep from colliding with a wrecked robot that was shooting for the ground in a gout of flame. He lifted his sword to deflect a laser beam from another opponent, which bounced and hit a mechanical beast flying above and to the side of it. Then he charged for the one that had fired the beam and drew the point of his sword along its body. There was a series of small explosions along the cut, and one of its wings stopped moving - then it dropped suddenly to crash into the rocks below.

Aku's forces had been numerous, but now they were dwindling under the fierce assault of the dragonriders.  Soon they would be no more than piles of scrap metal on the rocks far below.

But the worst was yet to come, for a great circle of flame opened in the sky, and out of it shot a huge, black beast with a double set of horns, a green snout with great curving fangs, and flaming eyebrows and beard. Jack recognized his archenemy in an instant - and Aku saw him as well.

Jack narrowed his eyes, raised his sword and set Niji on a dead-straight course for the demon. They dodged around other dragons, both friends and foes, focused on this single target.

Aku's grin looked as awful as it always did. He mocked the samurai with a malevolent snicker, then opened wide his jaws...

Niji twisted out of the path of the column of red flame just as it shot forth from Aku's gaping mouth. Jack realized that he had been foolish to head straight for Aku, and instead directed Niji on a looping, weaving course for the demonic dragon.

Since he was so big, Aku was not particularly maneuverable, and he was not able to keep up with Niji's dodges and dives. Jack was able to slash his flank, creating a rent in his shadowy substance. Aku cried out in pain and lashed out at Jack with a clawed foot, but Niji darted out of the way.

Aku grasped the flaw in his strategy at that moment and began to shrink, until he was about Niji's size. Now he was able to match her move for move, and managed to get behind her so that he could spit gouts of flame at the rider on her back.

No matter how many loops and rolls he took Niji through, Jack could not shake the pursuing demon. He would have to do something more drastic.

He headed for a steep mountainside, swerving Niji back and forth to avoid Aku's bursts of flame. As he got closer to the sheer rock, it seemed to approach faster and faster.

_Don't turn away until the last possible moment,_ he told Niji, since she knew her limits better than he did. The cliff face filled his vision now...

When Niji made a sharp turn to the right they were so close to the cliff face that Jack could have brushed it with his hand. Aku was not able to change course as quickly, and he smashed into the side of the cliff, turning into an indistinct black mass as he did so. Jack looked behind him as Niji ascended, to see the slick oily mass of the demon pour down the cliff face and into a canyon below. But he didn't assume that was the end of it.

He was right. Aku came shooting upwards again, back in his dragon form, with his claws extended and his mouth wide. Jack dodged out of the way and hacked at the passing demon with his sword. Aku wheeled around and belched flame right at him, but Niji retaliated with a flame of her own and the two cancelled each other out. Both dragons turned aside before they could collide with each other.

Jack made sure to get Niji on Aku's tail this time. She lashed out with a fireball, which seemed to have some effect on the demon. Aku took a sudden dive and they followed him, down into a series of branching canyons below. Jack followed him, left, right, left, right, right, through an arch of stone, and left again.

But after that last left turn he couldn't see Aku anymore. And then he looked up just in time to see the demon bearing down on them, claws extended.

Aku sank his talons into Niji's sides, causing her to scream in pain. Jack could feel the sensation as well, but he tried to push it down. He had to concentrate on keeping Aku's snapping jaws away from him.

Niji was sinking to the floor of the canyon, the wounds too much for her to bear. Jack slashed frantically at Aku whenever he got the chance, trying to drive off the demon, but to no avail. The three of them hit the canyon floor and skidded for several yards before coming up against a rock wall.

Aku was stunned for a moment, which Jack took to slash his harness apart and roll off Niji's back. He was aware then of the ruby blood pouring from her wounds - there seemed to be quite a lot of it, even for a creature of her size. With a roar he rushed at Aku, but the demon recovered enough to launch himself into the air. Jack jumped high and took a slash at him, but barely managed to scratch him. The demon ascended higher with a cruel laugh.

"I will not kill you now, samurai, for her death will be ten times more painful to you than her own!" _No!_

As Aku vanished, his laughter hanging in the air behind him, Jack sheathed his sword and ran to Niji's side. He pulled off his goggles and hood, ripped the veil from his face.

She was breathing hard, and when he put his hand in her mane he could feel her hurts. He felt tears well up in his eyes, not from the pain of those wounds, but because he knew that they were mortal ones. He fell to his knees under the weight of his despair.

"This is my fault," he whispered hoarsely. "What have I done?"

_It is not your fault._ Her voice in his head was weak, but still gentle. _Do not blame yourself. All things have their time to die, and this is my time. It is a worthy way to go_.

This was true, but it gave him no comfort. "I would rather...that it had been me."

_No!_ Niji lifted her head for emphasis as she said it. _Do not wish such a foolish thing! You must live to bring the light back to this world. Do it for me, and for all the others who have fallen. My end will be meaningless if you do not live to complete your quest._

Other dragons were landing in the canyon now. He could hear them, and their riders, talking to each other, though he did not know what they were saying.

_I am glad,_ Niji told him, in her fading voice, _To have fought this battle with you, and glad that I had such a friend._

"So am I," Jack said softly. "Thank you, for everything. I will never forget you, or what you have done today."

_Then I am content,_ Niji told him. _Perhaps we will meet again, in the next life..._

Then her eyes closed for the last time, and her breathing ended. Jack could no longer feel her mind; the loss hit him like a physical blow. Niji's body collapsed in a pile of red-orange scales and dust. The dragons raised their heads and joined together in a high, keening wail.

A tear spilled out of Jack's eye and fell down his cheek, before dropping to make a crater in the dust.

~***~

            The rain was finally letting up.  Kez had been ordered to fly Jack to the foothills this morning, but the downpour had made it impossible.  Now, though, the air was clearing, and he would be able to go.  Kez headed for the hospital as quickly as he could, to find Jack and bring him to the Aerie for the flight down.

            The warrior was in his room, as he had been for the past three days.  Niji's loss had hurt him badly, as the loss of a dragon always hurt the rider, and he had spent the past days in mourning.  Morwanneg and the Seer had tried their best to comfort him, but only time would bring him out of it.  He was sitting in a chair before the fireplace, dressed as he had been when Kez had first found him (except that his robe was whole again).  Morwanneg was serving him a mug of tea.

            Kez felt awkward disturbing him like this, but he had no choice.  "Jack?"  The samurai turned around to look at him.  The expression on his face made Kez's heart drop like a stone.  "The rain's gone.  We can go now."

Jack nodded, stood up and got his sword, then put it through his sash.  He bowed to Morwanneg.  "Thank you for all your hospitality.  I can only hope to meet others half as kind as yourself on my travels."  He stood up straight again.  "Farewell."

Morwanneg's eyes began to shine in an odd way.  Kez realized that she was very close to crying.  "I'm going to miss you, lad.  Just…take care of yourself, promise?"

"I will," Jack agreed.  Morwanneg nodded and turned away as Jack went to join Kez.  "Let us go, then," he said softly.

Kez tried to talk to Jack as they made their way to the Aerie, but all his attempts at conversation failed, and after a while he gave up.  They walked on into the dragons' part of the cavern in silence.  In the center of the floor Maktuu, the King and the Seer were waiting for them.

Jack said his farewells to the monarch and his mage while Kez made a final check of Maktuu's saddle straps.  Then he looked out of the cavern and up at the sky.  It was mostly blue now, and the clouds were clearing away.  There was something else, too.  "Look at that," Kez remarked to Maktuu, "There's a rainbow out."

Although Jack had been saying something to the King, he broke off in mid sentence at Kez's announcement, then turned to look for himself.  Kez's brow furrowed in puzzlement as he watched the other man stare out at the sky.  Then a smile appeared on Jack's face – it was a small one, but unmistakably a smile.  Kez's brow furrowed in puzzlement.  Even if he'd had a hundred years, he'd never be able to understand that man.

Jack turned to the Dragon King again and bowed.  "It was an honor to serve you," he said.  "I wish you and your people the best of luck."

"You have my blessings," the King told him.  "Our hearts and our hopes go with you."  He bowed his head.  Jack bowed to the Seer again before taking his place on Maktuu's back.  He removed his sandals and hung them on his belt, since they wouldn't fit in the slippers, then began to secure himself with the harnesses.  Kez took his place in the forward part of the saddle.

He turned to Jack.  "Are you ready?"

Jack nodded.  "Yes, I am, thank you."  For some reason, he seemed to be answering a question that was a lot bigger than the one Kez had just asked him.

With a wave to the King and the Seer, and a flick of his will, Kez sent Maktuu launching up into the sky, taking Jack on his last flight and back to his quest.


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue

There's a beautiful mosaic on the wall of the Aerie in Mount Draco.  It is life-size, but the tiles used to make it are so tiny that from a few feet away it looks like a painting.  It is a depiction of a dragon and rider – the dragon is a graceful, sinuous golden thing, and the one riding it is a man in a white robe, wielding a sword in one hand.  It's not a very realistic picture, since the man never wore that robe while riding the golden dragon and he is also shown riding bareback.  But if it were realistic it would not look half as beautiful as it does.

Behind the dragon and rider, a band of seven colors arcs into the sky.  When the sunlight hits the mosaic just so, the colors of the rainbow shimmer as if alive.


End file.
